The Meridian High School boys’ basketball team entered Friday night with a perfect record of 27-0, only one win away from earning a chance to play for a State Championship next weekend. That said, this hurdle would be by far the toughest one they’d face all year long, on the road against a formidable Hopewell Blue Devils squad with a visible advantage over Meridian with its size and physicality. The Mustang faithful traveled well to just south of Richmond, and the boys would need every bit of their support.
Will Davis got things going with a quick three-pointer and then John Lyman made a layup to give Meridian an early 5-0 lead, but Hopewell responded with the next six. Another Davis three put the Mustangs ahead 8-6 before the Blue Devils scored 11 of the next 13, and from that point onwards, it was an uphill battle. After trailing 10-17 at the conclusion of the first quarter, Meridian stayed within striking range but struggled to string consecutive baskets together, and went into halftime facing a 25-30 deficit.
Davis hit a third deep ball out of the break to bring the Mustangs within 28-30, and the two teams began trading baskets as Meridian remained behind by a possession or two throughout the third quarter. They closed within 37-39 on a John Alverson three after trailing 30-37 and then entered the fourth quarter down by four, but Hopewell locked down defensively and began to slowly inch away. Meridian was blanked through much of the final frame, and after the Blue Devils went ahead by eight, they started holding the ball with no intention of scoring. Hopewell was able to wind nearly two minutes off the clock before the Mustangs were forced to begin intentionally fouling, and at that point the deficit was simply too much to overcome. Meridian got a few late buckets in desperation but it wasn’t enough, and the visitors fell by a final tally of 54-43.
“We just ran into a really good team,” said head coach Jim Smith postgame. “We gave them all we had but they were just a little bit better… that’s just basketball.”
On the season as a whole, there’s absolutely nothing for Meridian to be ashamed of. The Mustangs experienced their most successful campaign since going 29-1 in 2015-16, and it was a season full of magical moments. Davis’ buzzer beater over Skyline back in January will surely go down as an all-time high school highlight for him and his teammates, and Meridian’s dominant victory over William Monroe to clinch the Mustangs’ Regional Championship was a clinical display of teamwork and execution in a high-stakes situation that felt a season in the making. Most importantly of all, though, the camaraderie and the community that this senior-stacked squad developed over the course of the past few years reflects the type of growth in which it’s clear that valuable lessons were learned both on and off the court. This team was truly bigger than basketball.
“This was a special group,” Smith reflected, a sentiment he’s repeated throughout the year. “I’m just so grateful at this stage of my career to have been able to coach a team like this one. You can’t ever take these opportunities for granted.”
Meridian will now graduate five players from its 2024-25 roster, including starters Jarrett Jardine, Isaac Rosenbeger, Lyman, and Alverson. The fifth, Billy Asel, unfortunately could not finish the season after breaking his foot in the closing seconds of the Mustangs’ Regional Semifinals win against Skyline, but he remained a fixture on the sidelines in support of his teammates. Davis, who had 13 to lead the team in its loss, figures to headline next year’s returners while key reserves Marquis Myles and Mason Pye should be among those set to enter starting roles.
The ride may be over, but the memories won’t be forgotten.
